Washing machine agitator



E. G. PETERSEN WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR Filed Dec. 26, 1951 April 17, 1956 fn VEZ-.f 22:7 Fry' @1907? fPeefas'efz United States Patent WASHING MACHINE AGITATOR Application December 26, 1951, Serial No.1263,394 7 Claims. (Cl. 613-134) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing clothes `and the like, and more particularly relates to a clothes washing machine with an improved form of agitator arranged with a view toward increasing the efficiency of the clothes washing operation.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of agitator arranged with a view toward more eiciently carrying out the clothes washing operation than formerly.

A still further object of my invention isto provide a new and improved form of clothes washing machine ,having a novel and improved form and arrangement of agita? tor arranged to more eticiently circulate the clothes around ythe washingtub in one direction and acting on the clothes by the countercurrents created, upon the reversal of oscillatory movement of the agitator.

A still furtherand more detailed object of my invention is to provide a novel and improved form of agitator for clothes washing machines having vertical agitating vanes extending radially inwardly from the` circumference of the agitator` at its base and then curving laterally in generally lspiral paths and merging into the center post of the agitator along the periphery thereof at asubstantial distance above the bottom thereof, and providing huid impelling surfaces'of relatively large area when rotating in one direction and small area impelling surfaces when rotating in an opposite direction. d n

' These and other objects of myk invention will appear from time to` time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a washing machine and tub, with certain parts of the tub broken away and `in section, and showing an` agitator constructed in accordance with my invention mounted .in the tub; f

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the agitator shown in Figure 1; l

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line III-III of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line IV-IV of Figure 2.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawing, an agitator is shown as being mounted in a clothes container or tub 11 of a clothes washing machine, designated generally by reference character 12. `The washing machine 12 and tub 11 may be of a well known form and the tub may preferably have a hollow center post 13 extending upwardly from the center thereof, upon which the agitator 10 may be oscillatably mounted, as is well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described in detail. A vertical shaft 14 extending upwardly through the center post 13 may serve as a drive means for the agitator and maybe oscillatably driven from the motor (not shown) of thewashing machine 12 through oscillatable drive gearing generallyV indicated by reference character 15, which may be of any conventional form, so not herein shown or described in detail.

The agitator 10 may be hollow and may have a gen- 2,741,905 Patented Apr. 1.7, 1956 erally conical base portion 15 having a concavely curved top wall, and also having anupright center post 16. The agitator 10 is also shown as having agitating vanes 17, 17 extending vertically from the base 145 and upwardly therealong and` into which the top wall of said base merges, as willhereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The upright center post 16 is likewise hollow and terminates at its upper end into hexagonal opening 19, affording a means for` driving said Aagitator from a corresponding upper end portion of the shaft 14. A hand screw or nut 20, may be threaded on the `upper end of the shaft 14 into engagement with the top face ofthe post 16, to retain said agitator to said shaft.

The agitating vanes 17, 17 are herein shown as being three in number equally spaced around the base 1S although they need not be so numbered or spaced. Said agitating vanes extend vertically from the base 15 and inwardly from the periphery of said base in a radial direction toward the upright center post 16. The radial portions of the vanes 17, 17 are shown as stopping short of the post` 16 in substantial spaced relation with` respect thereto. The vanes 17, 17 may then curve laterally with respect to the radial portions of said blades, and inwardly toward the post 16 about axes otset from the center thereof in the general formk o f a spiral. The vanes 17, 17 are then shown as merging into said post at a `substantial distance from the radial portions of said vanes, which may be in radial alignment with the next yadjacent radial vane portion, although not necessarily in such relationship. The curves *or spiral portions of the vanes` 17,` 17 as shown in Figures l and 4 extend upwardly along the base 15 in generally verticaldirections Aand the conical top surface of said base is shown as merging directly into the upright walls of said vanes. The upper edge of each vane 17 is shown as being continuously inclined upwardly from the outer edge thereof, and as terminating or merging into a generally frusto-conical upper portion 23 of the post 1'6.

A-s lshown in Figure 2 of the drawing, the vanes 17, 17 have a `relatively large elective area when rotating in a counter-clockwisedirection, which includes the radial portions of said vanes and the spiral portions thereof extending laterally therefrom and merging into the post 16. Upon a change in direction of oscillation of the agitator 10, however, the eiective area of the vanes 17, 17 is materially reduced and comprises only the radially extending portions thereof, the arcuate vertical vane portions thereof slipping past the liquid in the tube and having no substantial impelling elect.

Thus, upon rotation of the agitator in a counterclockwisey direction, the water and clothes will be given ya substantial impelling effectk and will circulate about the tub 11 by the flow of washinguid created by the radial vane portions of said agitator, and the vertical laterally extending arcuate portions of said vanes, merging into the post 16. Upon a reversal in the direction of oscillating movement of the agitator 10,` only the radial portions of the agitating vanes will create an impelling effect on the circulating water` and clothes. This impelling effect being substantially less thanthat created` by the advance faces of said vanes, the clothes will be advanced a substantial amount around the tub during each period of counterclockwise oscillation of the agitator. While there will be a tendency `to reverse the direction of the clothes during clockwiseoscillation of the agitator, since the curtions of the agitating vanes. This will provide a positive circulation of clothes around the tub in a counterclockwise direction and upwardly toward the outside and top of the tub, and will progress' the clothes around the tub in upwardly rising generally annular paths.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple and improved form of agitator for washing clothes has been provided, assuring a positive circulation of washing lluid and clothes around the tub when rotating in one direction, and slipping by the clothes when rotating in an opposite direction and creating a countereurrent substantially less than the clothes propelling current, sufiicient to keep the clothes suspended in the water in the tub but insufficient to prevent their positive circulation around the tub, thus preventingthe clothes from collecting and ltnotting on the agitator and assuring a more ellicient cleaning action thereof.

It will be understood that modications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a machine for washing clothes and the like, a tub for clothes and cleansing fluid, a clothes washing agitator within said tub and having a generally conical base of an enlarged diameter and a central upright post, a plurality of agitating vanes spaced equally around said base and extending inwardly from the circumference thereof in general radial directions and then spiraling around said post and merging thereinto at a substantial distance above the bottom thereof, said vanes extending vertically for the entire length thereof and said base curving upwardly and merging into said vanes and post and each vane with said post and the next succeeding vane forming a water circulating pocket in one direction of rotation thereof and effecting a reduced circulating influence in the opposite direction of rotation thereof.

2. An oscillatable agitator for washing clothes and the like comprising a widened base having a circular periphery of a relatively large diameter and an upright central post, a plurality of Vertical vanes extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said base for a portion of the length thereof and then curving laterally in generally spiral paths and merging into said central post in the region of the next adjacent radially extending vane portion, the top of said base converging upwardly toward and merging into the spiral portions of said vanes and each vane with said post and the next succeeding vane forming a water circulating pocket in one direction of rotation thereof and etfecting a treduced circulation of water in the opposite direction of rotation thereof to eifect a circulation of clothes around the tub in one direction.`

3. An oscillatable power driven agitator for washing clothes and the like in a tub comprising an upstanding cone generally concave in cross section and having a relatively large diameter circular periphery forming a base therefor, a central post forming a continuation of said base, and three equally spaced agitating vanes extending radially from the periphery of said base upwardly therealong toward said post and stopping short thereof, and then extending laterally in arcuate paths above arcs struck from centers offset from the center of said base and converging into said central post at a substantial distance above the bottom thereof and the arcuate portions of said vanes with the next succeeding vanes and said post forming water circulating pockets in one direction of rotation thereof and slipping by the water in the opposite direction of rotation thereof to effect a circulation of water around said tub in one direction only.

4. An oscillatable agitator for washing clothes and the like, comprising a wide base having a circular periphery of relatively large diameter and an upright central post, a plurality of vanes extending outwardly from said central post and rising upwardly from said base,

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the horizontal projection of said vanes being a single line which rst curves spirally out from said central post and then extends radially substantially to the periphery of said base and the spirally curving portion of each vane with the next succeeding vane forming a water circulating pocket in one direction of rotation thereof and slipping by the water in an opposite direction of rotation thereof to eifect a circulation of water around the tub in one direction only.

5. An oscillatable agitator for washing clothes and the like, comprising a wide base having a circular periphery of relatively large diameter and an upright central post, a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said base for a portion of the length thereof and then curving laterally in generally spiral paths and merging into said central post in the region of the next adjacent radially extending vane, all portions of the side surfaces of each vane being vertical and the curving portion of each vane with said post and the next succeeding vane forming a water circulating pocket in one direction of rotation of said agitator.

6. An oscillatable agitator for washing clothes and the like, comprising a wide base having a circular perpihery of relatively large diameter and an upright central post, a plurality of vanes extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said base for a portion of the length thereof and then curving laterally in generally spiral paths and merging into said central post in the region of the next adjacent radially extending vane, all portions of the side surfaces of each vane being vertical, the top of said base converging upwardly toward and merging into the spiral portion of said vanes and the curving portion of each vane with said post and the next succeeding vane forming a water circulating pocket for effecting a circulation of water around the tub in one direction only.

7. In an oscillatable agitator for washing clothes and the like in a tub, a hollow central post, a widened base having a circular periphery and a generally frusto-conical surface extending upwardly therefrom and converging into said central post, a plurality of agitator vanes spaced equally around said base and extending vertically for their entire length and having radial vane portions extending radially inwardly from the periphery of said base and upwardly therealong, and stopping short of said post and then extending laterally from said radial vane portions and curving in a generally arcuate path about axes oifset from the center of said post and merging into said past at a substantial distance above the bottom there of, and the upper surface of said base merging into the curving portions of said vanes, and the curving portions of said vanes with the next succeeding vanes and said post forming water circulating pockets in one direction of rotation thereof and slipping by the water in an opposite direction of rotation thereof to effect a circulation of water around said tub in one direction.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,967 Simmons Apr. 1, 1930 1,834,492 Kirby Dec. l, 1931 1,834,936 Bryant Dec. 8, 1931 1,923,580 Nelson Aug. 22, 1933 2,034,527 Nelson Mar. 17, 1936 2,034,631 Nelson Mar. 17, 1936 2,156,770 Rocke May 2, 1939 2,228,057 Kirby Jan. 7, 1941 2,249,562 Kirby July 15, 1941 2,257,932 Basler Oct. 7, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,501 Belgium June 15, 1951 824,333 Germany Dec. 10, 1951 

